Royal Regrets
by Pearl Wings
Summary: Cursed with damnation for staying out in the most sacred night of the year, Mariku is framed by his nemisis, and put to death, thus creating complications beyond belief- of law, trust, and romance... (YYxYM, YBxJo)


**Royal Regrets**

Written by R Amythest and Sailor Millennium (AKA Amara Kirei)

Warnings: shounen-ai, character deaths, suicide, profanity. Wow, I never knew this fic had so much PG-13 material in it! It looked pretty harmless… O.o

Names:

YuGiOh is Yami Yugi

Bakura is Yami Bakura

Ryou is Hikari Bakura

Mariku is Yami Malik

Malik is Hikari Malik

Jono is Joey (From 'Forbidden Memories.')

Teana is Tea ('Forbidden Memories')

Mai is Mai (duh?)

Tristen is Tristen (obviously...)

Ryuzaki is Rex (Ryuzaki is Rex's Japanese name)

Insector is Weevil (Japanese name.)

Ryouta is Mako (Japanese name.)

And just for the info, Simon is NOT an OC. Amara said he's from Duelist of the Roses and Forbidden Memories, although his last name changes from FM to DotR.

Key:

The little crown thingies \~^~/ mean a scene change.

The little roses ~~@ mean a lapse of time.

The eyes O are a scene change and a lapse of time.

 The banners *~*~* are the beginning and end of the fic, as well as chapter markers *~*.

Italics are flashbacks, thoughts, and stressed words. Bold also shows some stressed words. If they don't show up... figure it out, you're smart, right?

Notes: This is Amara's and my first co-writing fic. I actually think it's really good… can YOU tell when a certain section of ours starts and ends? ^_~ Some parts are obvious, but others tend to blend together well. Heh, I actually bossed Amara around a bit with the plotline and all. (Amara: -_-;;) But next, she's going to dish me out a plot… yay? (She mentioned the prequel to this. ^^ Fun, fun!) Anyhow, keep in mind the names and the little key shift things. They'll help… I mean, you can get along without it, but knowing it somewhat improves your reading experience. Sheesh, I sound like an advertiser. (Amara: Or my English teacher!!!) Well, anyway, read, enjoy, and (hopefully) review! ^^

*~*Chapter One: Damned Angel*~* 

Night fell, and darkness engulfed Ancient Egypt. The panting of the horses in the stables was all to be heard in the darkest night of every five years. All the citizens were outside, kneeling and praying, without a sound.

But did a certain tomb robber care? No! For all he cared, this was a single solitary night that the pyramids were unguarded. Peering around the edge of the house, he smiled in delight as he looked at all the citizens, praying with their eyes closed. Not making a sound, he made a dash to the closest pyramid.

"Bakura!" a voice hissed as he was grabbed by the robe front. Bakura whirled around as gleaming amethyst eyes glared at him. "What the @#$%^$%#$@#%$^%& are you doing out tonight?!"

Bakura used a pocketknife and cut off the part of his robe Mariku was holding. "What do you think?!" he hissed back.

Mariku scowled and grabbed both of Bakura's hands- a part he was certain he could threaten with. He got so immensely close that the silver-haired tomb robber could feel his breath. "Listen- this is the one day you shouldn't steal. The sun will set for your life if you do!" Bakura just smiled creepily. "What in the world is funny?!"

Bakura quickly grabbed Mariku's wrists and flipped him over, pinning him down in the sand. "What about you?!"

"I'm already damned... and sorry that I am..."

There was the blast of a trumpet as the prayers were over.

Bakura's eyes narrowed at the other teen. "What the f*ck does that mean?!"

Mariku sighed, not listening to Bakura. "Why did **I** have to be the damned one?? The one who never receives the blessings of light..."

Bakura growled in irritation, unsheathing a dagger. He pressed it to Mariku's warm throat. "I asked you a question, you #&*@#@...now, answer it!!" He growled softly so no one could hear, but a dangerous tone laced his dark voice.

Mariku sent Bakura a glare. "You wouldn't understand, Bakura."

"And why wouldn't I?!? **I** am the one with the dagger! I shall give you one last chance...answer my question **now**, or I'll kill you on the instant!" Bakura pressed the blade closer to Mariku's throat, almost brushing a pulsing vein.

Mariku gave another deadly glare, but relented. "I'm darkness's child now. I-"

"Hey! What's going on here?!" Bakura snatched his face upwards, looking in the distance. _Damn! The guards! If they find that I was about to raid this pyramid they'd--wait..._ An evil smirk crept to his lips. He stood up from Mariku, removing the blade from the boy's throat. Bakura gave another smirk, but suddenly replaced the look with an expression of fear.

"Guards! Guards! There you are! I was only walking in the moonlight after prayer had been over, then I saw this...this terrible thief! He tried to attack, but thank Ra that I kept my blade with me! Otherwise I may have been hurt!"

The guards gazed down, noticing the young man on the sand. 

One gasped. "It's the Darkness Child!"

Mariku looked shocked at Bakura's betrayal. The look on his tortured face became replaced by anger and rage. "YOU! YOU-" 

The guards roughly grabbed Mariku. "Child of Darkness! Son of Seth! We have caught you in the act of dishonoring the dead! You will be taken to Pharaoh for your just punishment!"

Mariku tried to break out of both guards' strong grasp, while glaring menacingly at Bakura. 

"Again I sacrifice myself for you…" He whispered angrily, before the anger boiled into rage. "YOU TRAITOR!! YOU'LL REGRET THIS NIGHT, I SWEAR!! BAKURA, YOU'LL NEVER BE RID OF ME! THIS I VOW!" A scream of rage echoed through the desert sands.

\~^~/

"Simon, what is it now?" Pharaoh YuGiOh sighed at his former mentor when he had been a prince.

"Many pardons, my lord, but I just received word that the Darkness Child had been caught in the act of tomb robbing. He awaits in the dungeon. What are you to do with him?" 

YuGiOh's eyes narrowed in anger. "Tomb robbing?! Simon, summon him at once! I will see to it that he receives what he so deserves!" 

Simon bowed humbly. "Yes, your majesty."

~~@

Mariku stumbled, forced to kneel in front of the pharaoh. He daren't look up into the pharaoh's eyes, lest the punishment become worse.

YuGiOh eyed him with disgust. "So, Demon, you care to protest?"

All that happened to the shivering bundle was a small, meek voice that said, "I didn't do it."

YuGiOh was appalled. "Steal, curse, AND lie! Filth, I sentence you to death!"

Mariku shuddered, looking up at YuGiOh in fright- accidentally in his eyes. Normally, that would've been a bad thing. For long term, however, that might've actually changed destiny. For now, though, YuGiOh narrowed his eyes. "Another offense!" He slapped Mariku across the face, forcing him to break the eye contact. "Fry him in oil," he hissed.

"No... no... no..." he whispered as he was led to the dungeon.

"Kill him tomorrow," YuGiOh called after his guard, Jono, before turning back to Simon. "Blah, soon my father's tomb will be empty!" Simon didn't reply, just stare after the so-called 'Demon.'

_...could he be innocent?_

\~^~/

"Baka-chan."

"Mmhmm."

"BAKA-CHAN!"

"What now, Ryou?" the Thief growled, turning around in his chair, glaring at his younger brother. In the windows, the glowing candles flickered once. 

Breathlessly, the 13-year old boy sat next to his older brother. "Today at the market-"

"Wasting money again when you could've stole," Bakura interrupted.

Ryou rolled his eyes and continued, "It was buzzing news about the Darkness Child-"

Bakura suddenly let out a maniacal laugh. Ryou scowled slightly. "What's so funny about a poor soul being _fried?!_ It's not funny!"

Bakura stifled a laugh. "A poor soul he is, that tainted demon. And you're wrong. It _is_ funny."

Ryou's eyes widened in surprise. "But I thought he was your best friend!"

Bakura's lips curled into a deadly, cruel smirk, his eyes hard and cold. "You are wrong, little one. He is _not_ my friend, but my nemesis."

The candles flickered twice, but straightened to keep the tiny flames glowing.

Ryou remained silent. The eerie tension cast a strange mist. "He's going to haunt you."

The candles flickered three times in succession as the wind howled outside, the fog intensifying in the shadows.

 Bakura gave an evil grin. "No, quite the other way.  For the darkness has consumed me, and if I am damned as Mariku has led me to believe, I have completed my job in this world and do not wish to suffer for no purpose."

The howling wind nearly blew the candles out, but they managed to still glow. The smoldering flames tried to illuminate the shadowy darkness.

Ryou's voice was barely a whisper. "But what about me? Do you care for me anymore?"

"In a word, no."

He had forgotten how to love.

The wind howled, blowing away all the mist. The moon shone through, the candles finally blowing out. Bakura laughed manically, his metallic voice bouncing off the walls. Ryou screamed in fright, tears welling up in his eyes. Staring at Bakura with large, frightened eyes, he asked meekly, "Why?"

And he answered with a slight, "Because I no longer care for the world."

And a Lunar Eclipse occurred. The moon turned orange-red as Bakura stepped out, casting the image of a devil.

\~^~/

Stars glittered above in the blackness of the night. The moon shone a peculiar orange, rather than its usual yellow.  

From the dungeons under the Pharaoh's palace came the stench of rotting flesh that came from Mariku, who used to be the innocent Darkness Child.

The Dungeon Keeper, with his assistant opened the entrance to the dungeon, then both of their faces crinkled in disgust at the smell.

"Argh! Ra, above! I thought I told Mokuba to take the body and dispose of it three hours ago!" the Dungeon Keeper, Seto, spat.

"Well, Seto...I guess that we have to dispose of it now, eh?" replied Esper Roba, his assistant.

"Actually, you're right...except for the fact of when you say _'we,'_ that means _'you.'_ Now get that body out of here before we die of the smell!" Seto gagged violently at the stench.

Esper Roba sighed heavily. "Alright..." Taking an old ragged blanket kept for prisoners, the shorter boy stumbled over to Mariku's corpse. He carefully wrapped the blanket around the body, then tried to lift it.

"Damn it! Seto, help me out! This one's a bit heavier than I thought!"

Seto cringed, but relented as he trudged over to Esper Roba. After fifteen minutes of lifting, they finally carried the corpse to the banks of the Nile. With a grunt, the two men threw the corpse into the Nile, the body sinking under the waters below.

"I heard that guy could have been innocent...what do you think, Seto?"

Seto shivered slightly. "I don't know...but that is for Anubis to judge." 

Esper Roba glanced at the moon, shuddering. "The moon glows orange tonight...I think something sinister may happen soon..."

Seto stayed silent, gazing at the dark waters.

The two lingered on the shores on the Nile, watching the waters for a last moment. Shivering again, Seto turned to his assistant. "Let's leave now, Esper."

Esper Roba glanced at the waters once more, before turning to follow Seto. 

"May your ka be rightfully judged, Darkness Child..."  

\~^~/

Footsteps echoed in the royal halls as Simon ran to the Pharaoh's chambers. Knocking violently on the door, he cried, "Pharaoh! Please open the door! I have some very important news!"

YuGiOh opened the door slowly, clearly showing his irritancy. "Again, you pester me. This time I was sleeping. What is it now?"

Simon bowed low. "Many pardons, My Lord, but I just received news from a witness about the incident last night." He looked gravely at the Pharaoh. "I believe we arrested and executed the wrong person."

O

A young, pale teen crouched in the alley, looking for the perfect chance to cross the bustling market. He wore a brown, hooded, baggy robe that easily covered his hair and half his face, basically unrecognizable. Looking around, he scooted across the market to the other edge.

The sun was high in the sky, and it made his forehead glisten, partially because of his dark, thick clothing. But soon his torture would be over, and he'd experience a permanent vacation.

He reached the cliff by sunset. The luminous colors stretched across the sparkling sand. In a quick, fluid motion, he slid the heavy cloak off. For an instant, he thought he was being watched, but when he turned around, no one was there. He shrugged it off and took in every sparkle of the sand, for he knew in his mind, this was the last time he'd see it.

He jumped.

He screamed.

All went black, but his soul was forced to remain.

~~@

"Hey! What's that down there?!" Jono shouted at Tristen, his partner. Both carefully approached the ledge, careful not to fall off. 

"Whoa," Tristen breathlessly exclaimed, feasting his eyes on the glittering diamond-like sand that the stars and moon illuminated.

"Yeah, preeeety," Jono mused, flushing, but his eyes were in quite a different direction.

"What?! You're not looking at the- oh." Tristen knelt down, looking at Bakura's injured form from off the cliff. "Well, I wouldn't call him quite _cute_, but he is impressive."

Jono blushed and tried to find a way to get down and retrieve him. "Eyes off. He's _my_ man."

"You do know he's going to be executed, right?!"

Jono's heart nearly stopped.

O

Three doctors crowded around the injured Bakura in the room of healing at the Pharaoh's Palace. A very concerned Jono stood by the unknown tomb robber's side, never leaving for anything.

"Jono, he's a dead man even if he lives. And I mean _if_. He's badly injured," Tristen murmured quietly.

Jono sent a quick glare to his partner, but he knew it was true. Bakura's pale body was covered with bruises from head to toe, along with cuts from the dangerous fall. That didn't seem too bad, but a serious bruise graced nearly his forehead, along with severe cuts on his arms and chest, plus a fractured leg.

"He's _going_ to pull through, Tristen. I...I know it!"

Tristen scowled. "Are you too lovey-dovey to think straight?! I SAID that even if he survives, he's a DEAD MAN! Do you really THINK that the Pharaoh will let him live after being a tomb robber?! Tomb robbing is a serious crime to_ both_ man and the Gods! He-"

"Shut UP, Tristen!" Jono roared. His face soon softened as his gaze flickered to Bakura. 

"You're going to make it...and maybe...I can convince YuGiOh to let you live with me..." he whispered softly.

"Will you two move?! I need to find witch hazel to heal his minor wounds!" Insector glared at the two boys. 

Tristen stood aside, letting the shorter boy pass, but Jono simply stood at Bakura's other side.

"I don't care what you say, Insector...I'm staying with him."

Insector paused for a moment, but gathered the witch hazel smirking. "Look, I don't care if you're with your boyfriend here, but just stay out of my way so I can heal your 'precious lover.'" 

Jono blushed furiously, but sent a menacing glare at Insector. 

"Watch it, Bug boy..."

Insector sent another smirk while grinding up the herbs. "Mmmkay..."

"Insector! Can you pass me the cloth for bandages while you're back there? I need to set this guy's leg." Ryuzaki stood near Bakura's legs with a stick for straightening the broken leg.

Insector scowled, but tossed the bandages to Ryuzaki.

Ryouta wrapped a piece of cloth around Bakura's arm from previously bloodletting. His gaze focused on the bruised forehead. "This spell should be able to remove that bruise, or heal it about halfway, along with those cuts…" he told Jono. "As a former sailor, I learn quite a bit of magic when I traveled around the rivers and seas." Jono nodded with approval. Ryouta closed his eyes, chanting quietly.

The nasty bruise glowed a golden color for a few seconds, but lessened from a deep red to a less-serious purple. The cuts glowed as well, but the seriousness only slightened. 

"The man's leg is set," Ryuzaki informed Ryouta.

Ryouta nodded in compliance. "And his bruise has healed. That takes care of the critical injuries, well…most of them, at least."

"But what about the other injuries?! And those cuts?! I want him perfectly normal!" Jono exclaimed.

Insector gave a slight smirk. "I'll put some of this on so the scrapes and cuts heal better for your _boyfriend_." His face grew grim. "But we aren't supposed to restore him to normal condition. Pharaoh's orders."

Jono nodded sadly while the doctors left. He stayed by the silver-haired boy's side; even when Tristen left to his usual late-night-city wandering, he still stood silently, monitoring Bakura's every movement.

  
~~@

Slowly, Bakura cracked open his eyes. The room was a blur. Every inch of him hurt more than it had when he first crashed onto the rocky surface.

_Air... I feel faint... breathe! Breathe!_

He managed to get new air circulating in his tired and aching lungs. Slowly, the room cleared, but the aching remained.

He shuddered. _Since when was it so... cold?_ Bakura shivered, too weak to pull a blanket over himself. He was very disappointed of that, needless to say. He had always thought of himself as the strong one in a mass of soft fools, laughing at the lover who was devastated by their soul mate whom he tortured. Now he, too, the infamous tomb robber, was WEAK?! And later, as he would find out, more than in one way.

"Are you okay?" a slightly rough, but concerned voice asked. The tired crimson eyes rolled up to Jono, who smiled slightly shyly. After locating the source of the sound, they closed again, and the body shook violently. "Cold?" 

_Cold?! Hah, I've been in freezing tombs before!_

Another voice protested, _It's freezing! If I'm going to die, can't I die without suffering?_

_...I must be mental..._

Bakura barely managed a nod. Jono smiled and took his extra robe off and covered him with it. The shaking became less frequent, and the golden-haired boy took it as a good sign. He stroked the injured teen's back.

_I don't need comforting! Rrg, what weak fool do they mistake me for?_

But out of the corner of his mind came, _This is so warm and comfy... I feel so much better..._

Bakura coughed and twitched a few times, then simply relaxed and let sleep take over, ignoring the arguing in his mind.

\~^~/

Tristen meandered from the palace. It was late at night, and the silver-haired boy was soon to meet his fate, for in the morning, the pharaoh was going to sentence him.

Sighing, he looked up into the sky. The moon was the normal yellow again. 'Good,' he thought. He sat on the warm sand, and closed his eyes, enjoying the tranquility of the summer night.

There was a sniffle, and a quiet sob. _Ah, stupid babies... we need a child control rule...' _Then there was another series of sobs and sniffles. _'No... not the short wails of a baby..._ More sounds confirmed his suspicion. _Hell, it sounds like a teen!_

Scrambling to his legs, he jogged to the source of the sound. It seemed to come from an abandoned shack. The door was open, and it looked like it was falling down. Tristen peered inside.

There lay a silver-haired boy... seemingly a mini Bakura.

*~*~*

R Amythest: Amara isn't here today. *pouts* Well, I'll close this myself. REVIEW!


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